Open Tonite - Friday 11/3/2006

This photo may look blurry, but I assure you that it's appropriate. My eyes are just about shredded this morning.

I want to get 2,000 words a day this first week, and I had about 900 to go when I got home last night. I fooled around on the Internet (what was I thinking?) for a while when I first got home. Okay, well, after the half-hour nap, which was repeatedly interrupted by recorded telephone campaign messages.

My romp around 43Things, nanowrimo.org and various blogs was conducted after a day like this: 1 1/2 hours at Bob's staring at my screen and writing, then my 8-hour workday scouring the Internet for the information I need for my reports and typing them up. And I still had that 900 words to get to before bedtime.

Hydra came home about then, wanting help getting his computer online, and I've been putting him off for days. Finally we started working on it and after another hour and a half of online and telephone help from Linksys (and more computer screen ogling), that was done. I'd set up the network and it had gone so easily that neither of us remembered what the heck we'd done.

I went back and wore a layer of varnish off my eyes writing that 900 words, plus a bit more.

I'd advise anyone who's trying to do this to become a regular at a diner.

Today is Day Three, and the waiter already knows I'll want a cup of tea and some ice water for starters. I had this feeling--when I was considering staying in bed this morning--that I was expected at Bob's, and I didn't want to let them down...which kept me from defecting to Starbucks next door. (Another of the benifits is that the oatmeal at Bob's is about the same price as the Maple Oat Scone at Starbucks, but sooo much better for the body and soul.)

I seem to be experiencing diminishing returns on my time, though. Just about each successive session has resulted in fewer words per hour. Only about 650 this morning. This cannot continue.

It had a lot to do this morning with my commute-generated ideas about raising the stakes for both of the main characters, which required actually changing or omitting a couple of paragraphs, and lots of thinking about where to integrate the new information. If I were smart, I would just use the document like a big notebook and go on no matter what the contradictions...but I really like these characters already and I want them to have real cool stuff to deal with.

I'm writing in third person, going back and forth between two characters right now. And I'm finding the guy so interesting. I don' t usually write guys. But this one's really doing his best to ingratiate himself to me.

Who am I to turn down a fun, sexy character when he comes a knockin'?

Lucky Charms - 11/2/2006

Yes, I'm pulling out the big guns already. NaNoWriMo, Day Two.

When I first started getting serious about writing a novel, I did all sorts of things to keep my intentions at the forfront of my consciousness. One of these things was to find creative talismans. I had others, but this one is still in my jewelry box.

I was given to understand that these pre-Columbian symbols have something to do with a "scribe." If you have any knowledge to the contrary, please keep it to yourself. Someone at a party asked me about it once and preceeded to tell me that those symbols had nothing to do with writing. Gee, thanks.

What it means to me is that I am on a creative path right now and I want to be mindful of it. I want to draw those juicy tidbits out of the universe, as so often happens when I'm working hard on something.

Trying to write 50,000 words in thirty days is something like being an athlete. When I left the house this morning at 4:15 to go write near work, Hydra pumped his fist up and down and chanted, "Go! Go! Go!"

Maybe I need some NaNoWriMo running shorts...

Dawn Breaks on NaNoWriMo - 11/1/2006

Yep, I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year. Tease me. Challenge me.

No. Leave me alone; I'm writing!

I woke up earlier than even my usual early hour and was out of the house by 4:15. Drove down to Bob's Big Boy and set up camp. Plunked out the first 1100 words before six a.m.

Here we go!

Hallowe'en! - Tuesday 10/31/2006

Luna goes wiiiiiild! The office manager dressed her chi-poodle as an angel for the holiday. I like this shot because she seems to be channeling her inner coyote.

The tombstone is a prop from one of the the owner's husband's movies.

We had 159 trick or treaters at our house! I ran through 6 bags of 3 Musketeers bars and a bag of Junior Mints. Ended up giving out Hydra's Smarties 3 rolls at a time, the See's suckers I had stashed in the pantry and--the horror!--most of a bag of individually wrapped Ghirardelli squares.

Times were desperate at house #13.

Wine and Glasses - Monday 10/30/2006

My writing group kindly moved our meeting to Monday night so I wouldn't have to miss the trick or treating at my house. Fun because my mom came to the group and was able to meet the Elegant E for the first time.

We stayed over with Braveheart, who lives fairly near the airport and who is an easy and gracious host. A little wine and conversation before turning in.

I love it when people I care about like each other.

Whut? - Sunday 10/29/2006

You want to gawk at the ostrich? I'm just minding my own business here, and every day, I swear. More gawkers.

On our way back from an excessive brunch at the 94th Aerosquadron at the Van Nuys Airport, Hydra took us on a little side trip to see the ostriches. They were as interested in us as we were in them.

Family Resemblance - Saturday 10/28/2006

They say my mother and I look alike. I always say "Thank you." She's beautiful. I hope I look like her inside, too. She's smart, creative, and engaged with the world.

She has baby blue Crocs of her own, but I loaned her one of my Mary Jane style pairs for our day in the Big City.

Hey, I have a pair just like that!


We went to the Getty first. It was a gorgeous day. We could see the ocean so clearly that it was hard to believe that sometimes you can't. The architecture is so amazing. You really feel that this place was designed with you in mind, to please and entertain you. Every time you take three steps, the whole perspective changes.



We spent most of our time in the Where We Live exhibition from the Berman Collection. It was so exciting and inspiring. Made me feel like photography is really accessible to me. I heard other people expressing similar sentiments.

I think this statue is new. Is it fair to put Big Booty Gal right next to Miss Perfection? I ask you.


After the Getty we went to The Grove and the Farmer's Market for dinner at Monsieur Marcel. Split a salmon salad and a cheese/pate plate. Mmm.

Saw this woman wandering around the grove. Love the costume and the colors.



The next best thing to buying expensive ($14.50 each!) salad plates that you covet covet covet is to photograph them. I win! I would love a guilt free shopping spree at Anthropologie!

10/27/2006 Friday placeholder

My Friday photo is on my computer at home. Sigh. Will have to come back to it.

I was going to update my blog today. Have been very busy with fun and work. But it's not letting me upload pix. I have barely enough time to update it, let alone to wrestle with it!

I'm still here, taking photographs and thinking about comments!